Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-14
THE KISS OF DEATH.

l awoke in darkness-darkncss so in,
tense that for moment thought was
blind
remembered, presently, that | had
been ill for "A long time-typhuid fever
had grown weaker day by day. until. one
summer afternoon, while the bright sun,
shine streamed gloriously through the
window. while the soft wind. pcrfumed
with lilac and honcysucklc, rusticd the
broad leaves of the magnolia hy the door.
lulled by the song of the mocking bird
hidden in the cool shade of cypress down
by the FLASHING fountain, | fell asleep
was very, very tired My last rccollec tion
was Of my wife, whose anxious face. pale
with long and weary vigils at my bedside,
bent over me, her golden hair sweeping
nv feyeriSh brow, and her beautiful eyes
filled with tears. She kissed me, and |
smiled upon her with a heart full d love
and gratitude Her lips moved, h.t did
not hear what she said. A delic'ou Ian
Cuor took possession of me-a feeling of
rest. Rest The sunlight
faded from my eyes, my poor wife's pitt
ful face grew dim on my sight and passed
away, the song Of the mocking bird ryew
(ainter in my ears, and i knew nothing
more until awokc in that awful night
IL was strange. / thought. that they
should have eNtinguished all the lights so
But perhaps the taper that usually burned
at my bedside had gone out This puz-
zled me, too. for somebody always
watched in my chamber at night-the
nurse, a friend sometimes, OF my devoted
wife. my darling whom no fatigue could
-.
ever had watched tonight had fallen
asleep. could not find it IN my heart 10
blame thcm-human endurance has a
limit, and exhausted nature must rest
some time Was i: necessary, though, to
draw the curtains so close. Not single
yieam of light. not the faintest climmcr
darkness blacker than the darkest mid
night | had ever seen
And silence | listened for the ticking
II the clock in the next room. but | lis
tened in vain. Some one had suggested
that the monotonous sound annoyed me,
and it had been removed Yes. that ex-
planned IT,
But l must have been asleep a long
time. The sun was shining when | lost
and now il was night, per-
haps nearly morning. Why had they al
lowed The to sleep SO long? Why had l
not been awakened as the doctor directed,
10 take my medicine-the teaspoonful
every hour. and the powder. in half a
wine glass of water, every three hours |
,onld not answer this question. and il
worried me. Were they neglecting me. or
had the doctor changed his method of
treatment. At any rate | was now awake.
ird surely ! ought To have my medicine.
Besides. terrible thirst parched my
tongue and my lips burned with fever.
But wGs awake, Was il not possible
hat dreamed all these thoughts-that I
dreamed the intense darkness. the silence.
and
My God, What odor is that Where
lad breathed that damp earthly atmos-
,here befores filled my lungs again and
again. and a dumb terror began 10 op-
press rne-a vague apprehension which l
,ould not account for The odor was I'M
was like the air of caves and
mines. Certainly | must be suffering from
nightmare induced by brain disorderipg
lisease.
And nv bed, how hard il was-could it
De possible that l had fallen upon the
loor. And vet nv head rested upon a
,:Ilow. and / felt the rufficd edge Of the
BED curtains touching my forehead. As l
ny there. fat upon my back, my hands
.lasped upon my breast. smiled family
II the incongruitx OF my surroundings,
lutl mentally commented upon the strange
,tuff If which dreams are made Then l
-ecnlleCted reading somewhere that the
sense of smell is absent in dreaiil., and
ny apprehensions of evil, Which had par
tally subsided, returned with renewed
,orce
At this moment the thumb of my left
iand touched button. 1t was cloth
1u:ton. Ny night robe was fastened with
10 such buttons. Ii was the button Of a
body had probably thrown
,uch a garment ever me TO keep me warm
II to dispose IF it until they should re-
Irire il a-ain But that peculiar futid
,dor-whCrc did it come from, Ny thirst
was becoming intolerable-I must moisten
nv lips-and they must take that hard
substance from under my knees. What
was it there for and who put it there:
But above all things, must have some
hing TO drink.
..,Julia,' How sullen and muffied my
Whisper souhGeu-
julia. ihere WIS ho echo 10 NY
cultural cry.
Johti. 'ui.a: hooert' lhere was ''o
'epiy. Inc nurse, III! "iie, my iFielu-
none OF them near ihe-of al sleepilS 50
'oundiy that my VOICE uiu not awahet.
mem. HAN petulahtiy reso!'ea INA. 1
would Try 10 serve myself. "o"iI u!
% reacn one U, tne sidsses on 'he ''',ie "'
ny pedside-i "ouio uis'ur" iopou!.
some one "ouiu eo'iie Pfeseii'Is al" Vi iAS
! Hght
slowly anu win lear 'Hat l might
1'er'hro" soi'ie vi 'ue 'iais oii 'he t''"-.'
iaiee" lis ..il'I;, u. nI -, ,t"
- irI. Co ~. - 80, i
q. , - -. -. - 80
VII ~ " - !. ~. .l I,-a.o,a5
y @ nen - - ~. ~ -, -, ,,,,.
.A. '' ~ 81 49,.
'a., -, 60 ,af, - II
81 - IN
D, ~" eaii. AZ ~ 'tio'.i
! hoi "'ts'liiS ~. i-a. a. 'ttis -.
-, Po ~ 50 W -.
'iA iii. -. - -, IL,
-, -,
w AL aAAAA Se'"4-e-1N& SAAA'>a> AA@>S~ ~~'$